Teen Cannabis Prevention Amidst a Changing Legislation

Just like us here at Rescue, you’re probably watching the news about the DEA’s potential declassification of cannabis to a less dangerous status. And this election cycle, more states are adding cannabis legalization to the ballot. Large-scale changes in cannabis legislation can create confusion about the safe, legal use of cannabis in your community, especially among teens.

As health communicators, how can we create behavior change campaigns that effectively prevent teens from using cannabis?

The California Department of Public Health and Rescue conducted 100+ teen focus groups to inform the direction of our teen cannabis prevention campaign. Key insights included:

• Familiarity vs Understanding: Teens need clear information about cannabis risks, as the perception of the risk of cannabis use continues to decrease.
• Motivating Factors: Teens' desire for sports, personal development, and social life help avoid substance use.
• Mental Health Receptivity: Messaging should connect mental health, and alternative coping strategies, and emphasize practical, positive options.

Based on these findings, we developed “Mind Over Marijuana,” a cannabis prevention brand tailored for youth. For example, our ad “Memory Not Found” shows how cannabis use can negatively impact teens’ social lives by impacting their ability to remember important moments with their friends. It provides science-based explanations for why underage cannabis use messes with teens’ developing brains.

Post-campaign evaluations show that “Mind Over Marijuana” achieved significant behavior change among those who are campaign-aware, including:

• 52% significantly limited or reduced their cannabis use
• 15% reduction in intention to try cannabis before age 21
• Teens aware of "Memory Not Found" were more likely to be concerned about potential impacts on adolescent brain development than those unaware.

If you’d like to learn more about how to create effective teen cannabis prevention campaigns, please don’t hesitate to contact our team.